Bhima (the terrible) In the Hindu epic poem The Mahabharata, a hero, second of the five Pandu brothers. Bhima, the son of Vayu, the wind god, had great strength but was of a fierce and often cruel nature. His coarse manners earned for him the title Vrikodara (wolf’s belly) because he ate more food than all of his brothers combined. One episode in The Mahabharata tells how his cousin Dur-yodhana, jealous of his great strength, poisoned him and threw his body in the Ganges. He was bitten by the Nagas, but the poison in his blood neutralized their venom and he recovered. The Nagas then gave him eight jars of nectar, which he drank, giving him great strength. Bhima then kicked the head of his prostrate enemy, Dur-yodhana, earning him the title Jihma-yodhin (the unfair fighter).

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Encyclopedia of World Mythology and Legend, Third Edition – Written by Anthony S. Mercatante & James R. Dow– Copyright © 2009 by Anthony S. Mercatante